Abstract: A seal is provided which seals the junction between the cylinder block of a compressor and a cylinder head secured to an end of the cylinder block, which comprises a gasket interposed between the cylinder block and the cylinder head. The gasket is formed integrally with an axial swell located in the vicinity of its outer peripheral edge extending along its whole circumference. The swell of the gasket is elastically held between the cylinder block and one of the cylinder head and a valve plate interposed between the cylinder block and the cylinder head to seal the junction between the two members.

Abstract: A swash-plate type compressor is provided with an oil pumping chamber which communicates with a fluid pumping chamber within which fluid is compressed by a piston, and also provided with a secondary oil reservoir chamber which communicates with an oil feeding bore formed in the drive shaft of the compressor. The oil pumping chamber communicates with a primary oil reservoir chamber through a first oil feeding passageway, and with the secondary oil reservoir chamber through a second oil feeding passageway, respectively. First and second valves are arranged to open and close the first and second oil feeding passageways, respectively, in response to changes in the pressure within the oil pumping chamber.

Abstract: A swash-plate type compressor is provided which includes a horizontally disposed cylinder block. The cylinder block has three cylinder bores axially extending through the cylinder block in a circumferentially spaced arrangement, two of the cylinder bores being located at upper portions of the cylinder block, while one of them being located at a lower portion thereof, three spaces opening in each end face of the cylinder block and each arranged between adjacent ones of the cylinder bores, one of the spaces being located at an upper portion of the cylinder block, while two of them being located at lower portions thereof, and a swash plate chamber formed at a central portion of the cylinder block. The two spaces located at the lower portions of the cylinder block communicate with the swash plate chamber and serve as an oil reservoir for storing lubricating oil in cooperation with the swash plate chamber.

Abstract: A swash-plate type compressor provided with a pair of thrust bearings arranged at opposite ends of the swash plate to support thrust loads caused by the swash plate. The thrust bearings each comprise a plurality of seats in the form of blind holes formed in end faces of central seating portions formed on the cylinder blocks and a plurality of bearing members each having its one end portion slidably fitted in a corresponding one of the seats. The seats or blind holes are formed in the end face of each central seating portion along the perimeter of the opening of a drive shaft-fitted axial hole formed in the central seating portion and in a circumferentially spaced arrangement. The bearing members each have its other end portion formed with a planar end face and have this planar end face disposed in slidable face-to-face contact with a corresponding end face of the boss of the swash plate.

Abstract: A double-acting piston is provided which is slidably mounted within a cylinder bore formed within the framework of a swash-plate type compressor, for carrying out a fluid compressing action. The piston comprises a pair of piston heads provided at its opposite ends and an intermediate coupling member coupling the piston heads to each other. The piston heads and the intermediate coupling member are separately fabricated from discrete pieces by means of stamping or the like. The piston heads each comprise a hollow first part extending axially inwardly of the piston and a hollow cylindrical second part extending radially outwardly from an outer end of the first part and serving as a slider. The first and second parts of the piston heads may be separately fabricated from discrete pieces by means of stamping or the like.

Abstract: An improved rotor is disclosed, for use with movable vanes in pumps, compressors and the like. The rotor is equipped with slots in which the vanes are located. Each slot has a leading surface and a trailing surface. Two embodiments of this invention are taught. In one embodiment, a groove is cut into the trailing surface of each slot, so that a specially designed rod-like bearing may be interposed between the rotor and the vane to reduce friction between the trailing face of the vane and the trailing surface of the rotor. In the other embodiment, an additional groove is cut in the leading face of the vane so that a similar bearing may be interposed between the leading face of the vane and the leading surface of the slot. As a result of these designs, friction between the vane and the rotor is much reduced, and a substantially longer work-life results.

Abstract: An improved vane compressor is provided which employs a rotor comprising: a hollow boss element into which a rotary shaft is force fitted; at least two pairs of lateral plates formed upright on a peripheral surface of said boss element; and a peripheral element fitted between opposed ones of the lateral plates of adjacent pairs; wherein said boss element and said lateral plates are made of a metal having a sufficient mechanical strength, and said peripheral element is made of a material which has a smaller specific gravity than that of said metal and has a coefficient of friction small enough to keep sliding contact faces of parts facing said rotor in the pump section of the compressor from undergoing substantial abrasion.

Abstract: An improved vane compressor including a novel lubricating oil separator disposed within a discharge pressure chamber formed between the casing and the pump housing. The oil separator comprises a pair of fluid-traversable upper and lower plates disposed within the discharge pressure chamber, an oil separating element interposed between said upper and lower plates, which preferably has a reticulate or spongy structure having pores communicating with each other, and a hollow cylindrical guide element fitted in the casing in a fashion covering the inner peripheral wall of the discharge pressure chamber but a lower part thereof, said guide element having a depression formed in a peripheral surface thereof and defining a passage for guiding a gaseous medium toward the compressor outlet, whereby oil separation takes place at multiple places, resulting in high rate of oil separation.

Abstract: A sliding vane compressor has a housing and a rotor mounted in the housing. The rotor has axial endfaces which are juxtaposed with respective housing surfaces from which they must be kept at a predetermined spacing. This spacing is obtained by mounting in open recesses of the axial rotor endfaces respective elements of a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the material of the rotor itself. As the compressor comes up to operating temperatures the resulting thermal expansion of these elements causes them to protrude beyond the axial rotor endfaces by a distance corresponding to the desired spacing.

Abstract: A rotary compressor comprises a cylinder in which a rotor is eccentrically disposed. A plurality of generally rectangular, radially extending vanes are slidably disposed in slots in the rotor and sealingly engage the inner wall of the cylinder. Rotation of the rotor and vanes causes compression of refrigerant gas or the like trapped between adjacent vanes and discharge of the gas from the compressor. The radially outer edges of the vanes which engage the cylinder wall are curved, and the leading and trailing surfaces near the radially outer edges of the vanes are cut away to prevent sticking of the vanes in the slots due to deformation of the edges of the vanes after an extended period of use.

Abstract: A rotor is operatively provided in a bore of a cylinder which is formed with an inlet and an outlet. The cylinder is enclosed by a housing with an annular chamber being defined between the cylinder and the housing. The housing has an inlet which is connected to the inlet of the cylinder. The outlet of the cylinder is provided at an upper portion thereof. An oil sump is defined by a lower portion of the annular chamber of the housing. A partition divides the interior of the housing into the annular chamber within which the cylinder is disposed and an outlet chamber which communicates with an outlet of the housing. The lower portion of the partition is cut away to communicate the annular chamber with the outlet chamber.

Abstract: A rotor is eccentrically journalled for rotation within a bore of a stationary housing formed with end walls and inlet and outlet ports. One or more blades are radially slidable within grooves in the rotor and biased into sealing engagement with the inner circumference of the housing. Rotation of the rotor and blades produces suction and pressure chambers within the housing to displace fluid from the inlet to the outlet. The rotor and blades are each formed in two sections with a resilient member inserted inbetween, the resilient members urging the respective sections longitudinally into sealing engagement with the end walls.